Villa has an unexpected group of superfans in the middle of Africa.
With Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal around, Villa are not among the clubs with the most fans in England. However, that is not the case in the small town of Juanben in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.
Ghana Lions, the town’s Aston Villa fan club, hosts one of the biggest fan bases of the club outside the UK. Owusu Boakye, who is the head of the fan club, claims Villa has more than 1000 supporters in the town.
“Every Sunday morning it is our routine. We have to be fit and more active so that we can chant, so we do exercises and after that, we will chant and chant and go on for more than three hours,” Boakye told the Daily Mail.
“When we come back we start the chants using the names of the footballers who play for Aston Villa, and we chant against the opponents we come to play against. We do some chants and we all watch them play together.
“Most people were Chelsea fans, Man United fans, Barcelona fans. They are all joining us as Aston Villa fans now! Because what we are doing is amazing.”
A surprise call!
The fan club’s page on Twitter has helped them to get recognition from several people inside the Midwest club. Villa legend Paul McGrath made a video call with the members last year.
McGrath’s son Jordan had sat up the call after seeing a report on BBC.
“He told me that his dad was Paul McGrath,” Boakye told BBC.
“I shouted and said ‘oh no – how can I believe this?’ he is the man I’ve been looking for since birth,
“He messaged me and told me that he was going to call with his dad in five minutes. I was still doubting until I saw Paul McGrath face to face, and Paul said ‘Owusu – hi, how are you doing? I am very happy and honoured about what you are doing and saying about me’.
“There were tears of joy. Because my dream has already come true because I’ve talked to the greatest defender to ever grace the league. And yet he – Paul McGrath – was asking me about life in my village!”
McGrath played for Villa from 1989 until 1996. The former Man United defender featured in 215 games for the club, winning two League Cups.
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